secret gifts
by 2olluxampora
Summary: After the war, Pansy needs an excuse to rediscover herself.


**Written for Hogwarts**

 **Gardening, task 10: Flowers - Write about someone with a floral name**

 **Word count: 866**

* * *

The first time it happened, Pansy assumed it was a mistake. Idiotic Muggles couldn't even keep track of where people lived. It was hardly surprising, though, given how cluelessly they bumbled around.

She snatched the plate up from where it sat in front of her door, all shiny plastic wrap and gaudy ribbons, and nudged the door open with her hip, abandoning the cookies on the counter as soon as she could. Pansy was sick of pity food, frankly, and this was too close to it, intentional or not. Maybe she'd send them off to her mother.

Raking a hand through her hair (almost brushing her shoulders now, she really should think about getting it cut), Pansy set about making a pot of coffee. The rhythmic sounds of someone pacing in the flat above her were bouncing around in her skull, and she fingered her wand, wishing she could hex them through the ceiling. Did they _ever_ rest?

A stack of letters stared up at her accusingly from the counter. Blaise, Daphne, Millicent, Theo...None from Draco, of course, because he hadn't had time to miss her yet. Having a breakdown in someone's garden and needing them to Floo St. Mungo's tended to have that effect, especially when the healers were more inclined to verbally abuse former Death Eaters than help in a timely manner.

Pansy averted her eyes from the letters, moving them to a drawer with a flick of her wand. Out of sight, out of mind. She'd get to them eventually.

She took her coffee out on the rickety balcony, umbrella charm shielding her from the rain. It was an absolutely dismal day, perfect for her. The sun only made her angry lately.

* * *

Another week passed, each day more of the same. Even Pansy herself wasn't entirely sure why she was so insistent on avoiding her friends, but the longer she carried on isolating herself, the more resistant she grew to the idea of slinking back.

When she found sweets at her door again, Pansy was tempted to simply dump the whole plate in the trash. Instead, though, she set it down on her living room floor, sitting cross-legged on the carpet and glaring at it. She tried all the curse and poison detection charms she could think of, and none produced results. The food was completely clean.

Pansy groaned in frustration. This would be so much easier if it was someone trying to hurt her. Then, she'd know how to feel about it.

She glanced around briefly, then shook her head. In Slytherin, you always had to worry about being watched. Not here. Aside from the couple of sad looking plants she'd lined up on the windowsill, Pansy was the only living thing in the flat. Setting her wand aside, she gingerly picked up a pastry and took a bite.

* * *

The anonymous gifts continued to appear reliably, once or twice a week. Most of the time, they were food, but a couple of times, Pansy found flowers and other little trinkets at her door. Despite how much she wanted to remain unaffected, she started to look forward to them. They were evidence that someone still cared about her, and so selflessly too.

As long as she didn't know who her secret admirer was, it didn't have to be complicated. When there was a knock at her door, Pansy didn't expect it at all.

* * *

"Oh, good, you're there. The nargles seem to have cleared up quite a bit too." Standing in front of her, looking as dazed as ever, was Luna Lovegood.

"Lovegood? What are you doing here?" Pansy asked, grip tightening on the door. Reflexively, she started to close it, then stopped herself. It had been a while since she'd talked to anyone. Too long.

"I'm here to see you, of course. You need someone to talk to." Luna's eyes felt as though they were staring right through her, but didn't seem to be prying like Pansy was used to. No, Luna didn't have to consciously try to see through others' masks.

"I have plenty of friends." She straightened up a little, tapping her fingers against the doorframe. "And how did you even know I live here?"

"Oh, Draco told me. We have lunch sometimes." Then, in response to the unasked question, Luna continued. "Being locked in someone's basement really does wonders for your relationship with them. Can I come in?"

The automatic response that started to come to Pansy's lips was 'no,' and yet, she stepped aside to let Luna in.

"I do hope you've been enjoying the gifts. I'm not sure what sort of thing you prefer..." Luna wandered inside, looking around before settling down on Pansy's sofa.

 _Lovegood had been sending all those things?_ At this point, she almost wasn't surprised. It wasn't any stranger than the rest of this situation. And truthfully, Pansy had always had a carefully hidden soft spot for Luna. She wished she had the same confidence to just...not care what people thought.

"Yeah," she admitted, trying to hide a smile. "They've been...nice." Pansy bit her lip, coming to a decision.

"Would you like some tea?" Everything had to start somewhere, after all.


End file.
